OpenX will block all reseller traffic on the exchange that is not authorised on Ads.txt

OpenX will block all reseller traffic on the exchange that is not authorised on Ads.txt

OpenX today announced that will block all reseller traffic that is not authorised on a publisher’s ads.txt file from entering its exchange.

OpenX says that by “applying strict ads.txt compliance to the exchange, buyers and DSPs will no longer have to take inventory validation into their own hands and can trust that all inventory flowing through OpenX is authorized by the publisher in instances where an ads.txt file is available.”

“Enforcing a strict ads.txt compliance protocol is just another way OpenX is actively working to curate the highest quality marketplace for advertisers looking to access premium inventory,” said John Murphy, head of marketplace quality at OpenX. “Ads.txt is bringing the industry one step closer to being fraud-free, and the rapid adoption of this initiative highlights the need in the market for solutions like these while building confidence in the value of programmatic overall. We encourage publishers and advertisers to push for mass adoption of standards, like ads.txt, that allow them to hold their technology partners accountable.”

Ads.txt is an industry initiative created by the IAB to address quality and fraud. It offers a method for publishers to publicly declare the companies they authorise to sell their digital inventory, creating greater transparency in the digital media supply chain.

OpenX did an audit of the USA top 1000 publishers, and a majority have now adopted ads.txt. OpenX says that is the #1 independent exchange listed as an authorized seller among comScore top 1000 publishers (#2 overall behind Google).